Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

2. Description of Service

3. Eligibility and Account Registration

3.1 Age Requirements

Our Service has different requirements based on user age:

• Users 13 and older: May create accounts with verifiable information
• Users under 13: Must have parental or guardian consent and supervision
• Institutional access: Students accessing through schools must comply with institutional policies

3.2 Parental Consent

If you are under 18 years old:

• You must have permission from a parent or legal guardian to use our Service
• Your parent or guardian must review and agree to these Terms
• Your parent or guardian is responsible for your use of the Service

3.3 Account Registration

To access certain features, you must create an account by providing:

• Accurate and complete information
• A valid email address
• A secure password
• Any additional information we reasonably request

4. User Accounts and Security

4.1 Account Responsibility

You are responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
• All activities that occur under your account
• Immediately notifying us of any unauthorized access or security breach
• Logging out after each session, especially on shared devices

4.2 Account Security

To protect your account:

• Choose a strong, unique password
• Do not share your password with others
• Do not allow others to use your account
• Enable two-factor authentication if available

4.3 Unauthorized Access

We are not liable for any loss or damage resulting from unauthorized access to your account due to your failure to maintain security.

5. License and Access Rights

5.1 Limited License

Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to:

• Access and use the Service for personal educational purposes
• Download and use educational materials for non-commercial use
• Participate in virtual laboratory experiments

5.2 License Restrictions

You may NOT:

• Copy, modify, or create derivative works of our Service
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Service
• Rent, lease, sell, or sublicense access to the Service
• Remove or modify any copyright or proprietary notices
• Use the Service for commercial purposes without written permission
• Frame or mirror any part of the Service
• Use automated systems (bots, scrapers) to access the Service

5.3 Educational Institution Licenses

Schools and educational institutions may have separate licensing agreements with additional terms and conditions.

6. Acceptable Use Policy

When using our Service, you agree NOT to:

6.1 Prohibited Activities

• Violate any laws, regulations, or third-party rights
• Engage in fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading activities
• Harass, abuse, threaten, or harm other users
• Upload or transmit viruses, malware, or harmful code
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems
• Interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers
• Collect or harvest user information without consent
• Use the Service to send spam or unsolicited communications
• Impersonate any person, entity, or falsify affiliations
• Post or share inappropriate, offensive, or illegal content

6.2 Prohibited Content

You may not upload, post, or share content that:

• Is illegal, harmful, threatening, abusive, or defamatory
• Infringes on intellectual property rights
• Contains personal information of others without consent
• Is sexually explicit or pornographic
• Promotes violence, discrimination, or hate speech
• Encourages dangerous or illegal activities
• Contains false or misleading information

7. Educational Use and Academic Integrity

7.1 Academic Honesty

Our Service is designed to support learning. Users must:

• Complete work honestly and independently (unless collaboration is permitted)
• Not share assignment answers or solutions inappropriately
• Follow their institution's academic integrity policies
• Use the Service as a learning tool, not a shortcut

7.2 Educator Responsibilities

Teachers and educators using our platform should:

• Provide appropriate supervision for student use
• Integrate virtual labs appropriately into curriculum
• Monitor student progress and completion
• Address any misuse of the platform

8. Intellectual Property Rights

8.1 Our Intellectual Property

All content, features, and functionality of the Service are owned by Virtual Chem Labs and are protected by:

• Copyright laws
• Trademark laws
• Patent laws
• Trade secret laws
• Other intellectual property rights

This includes but is not limited to:

• Website design, layout, and graphics
• Virtual laboratory simulations and software
• Educational content and materials
• Text, images, videos, and animations
• Logos, trademarks, and branding
• Source code and algorithms

8.2 User Content

You retain ownership of content you create or upload. However, by submitting content to our Service, you grant us:

• A worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute your content
• The right to use your content for improving our Service
• The right to use anonymized data for research and development

8.3 Copyright Infringement

We respect intellectual property rights. If you believe content on our Service infringes your copyright, please contact us with:

• Description of the copyrighted work
• Location of the infringing material
• Your contact information
• A statement of good faith belief
• Your electronic or physical signature

9. Payment Terms and Subscriptions

9.1 Pricing

We offer various pricing plans:

• Free Tier: Limited access to basic features
• Individual Subscriptions: Full access for personal use
• Educational Institution Licenses: Bulk access for schools
• Enterprise Solutions: Custom pricing for large organizations

9.2 Payment Processing

• Payments are processed through secure third-party payment processors
• We accept credit cards, debit cards, and other payment methods as indicated
• All prices are in USD unless otherwise stated
• Prices are subject to change with notice

9.3 Subscriptions

• Auto-Renewal: Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled
• Cancellation: You may cancel anytime before the next billing cycle
• No Refunds: Payments are generally non-refundable except as required by law
• Pro-Rata Adjustments: We do not offer pro-rata refunds for partial periods

9.4 Free Trials

If offered a free trial:

• Payment information may be required
• You will be charged automatically after the trial ends unless cancelled
• Trial is available only once per user
• We reserve the right to modify or discontinue trials

10. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

10.2 Educational Disclaimer

• Our Service is for educational purposes only
• We do not guarantee specific learning outcomes
• Virtual simulations may not perfectly represent real-world scenarios
• Users should not rely solely on our Service for comprehensive chemistry education

10.3 Safety Disclaimer

10.4 Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW:

• We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• This includes loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses
• Our total liability shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim
• Some jurisdictions do not allow these limitations, so they may not apply to you

11. Safety and Supervision

11.1 Virtual vs. Real Laboratory

Users must understand that:

• Virtual labs are simulations and may not represent all real-world hazards
• Real chemistry requires proper safety training and equipment
• Virtual success does not guarantee real-world proficiency
• Professional supervision is required for actual laboratory work

11.2 Parental/Guardian Supervision

For users under 18:

• Parents should monitor their child's use of the Service
• Discuss the difference between virtual and real experiments
• Ensure children understand safety warnings
• Review progress and completed activities

12. User Content and Data

12.1 Your Data

We collect and use your data as described in our Privacy Policy. By using our Service, you consent to such collection and use.

12.2 Data Retention

• We retain your data as long as your account is active
• After account deletion, we retain data as legally required
• You can request data deletion subject to legal obligations

12.3 Educational Records

If you access our Service through an educational institution:

• Your progress and performance data may be shared with your school
• Your institution's privacy policies may also apply
• FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) may govern data handling

13. Termination and Suspension

13.1 Termination by You

You may terminate your account at any time by:

• Using account settings to delete your account
• Contacting our support team
• Cancelling any active subscriptions

13.2 Termination by Us

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if:

• You violate these Terms
• You engage in fraudulent activities
• Payment issues occur
• We discontinue the Service (with notice)
• Required by law or legal request

13.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your right to access the Service immediately ceases
• We may delete your account and data (subject to legal requirements)
• You remain liable for any outstanding payments
• Provisions that should survive termination will continue to apply

14. Modifications to Service and Terms

14.1 Service Changes

We reserve the right to:

• Modify or discontinue any feature of the Service
• Change pricing with reasonable notice
• Update content and experiments
• Perform maintenance and updates

14.2 Terms Changes

We may update these Terms by:

• Posting the revised Terms on our website
• Updating the "Last Updated" date
• Sending email notification for material changes

Your continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

15. Dispute Resolution and Arbitration

15.1 Informal Resolution

Before filing a claim, you agree to contact us to attempt informal resolution.

15.2 Binding Arbitration

Any disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration rather than court, except:

• Small claims court matters
• Intellectual property disputes
• Where arbitration is prohibited by law

15.3 Class Action Waiver

You agree to resolve disputes individually and waive the right to participate in class actions or representative proceedings.

15.4 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of [Your State/Country], without regard to conflict of law provisions.

16. General Provisions

16.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Virtual Chem Labs.

16.2 Severability

If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full effect.

16.3 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision does not constitute a waiver of that right.

16.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms. We may assign our rights without restriction.

16.5 Force Majeure

We are not liable for delays or failures due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

16.6 Third-Party Services

Our Service may integrate with third-party services. We are not responsible for third-party content or services.

16.7 Feedback

If you provide feedback or suggestions, we may use them without compensation or obligation to you.

16.8 Electronic Communications

You consent to receive communications from us electronically, including emails, notices, and agreements.